ERIC Number: EJ861005
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Jan
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0028-3932
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Neural Dissociation in the Production of Lexical versus Classifier Signs in ASL: Distinct Patterns of Hemispheric Asymmetry
Hickok, Gregory; Pickell, Herbert; Klima, Edward; Bellugi, Ursula
Neuropsychologia, v47 n2 p382-387 Jan 2009
We examine the hemispheric organization for the production of two classes of ASL signs, lexical signs and classifier signs. Previous work has found strong left hemisphere dominance for the production of lexical signs, but several authors have speculated that classifier signs may involve the right hemisphere to a greater degree because they can represent spatial information in a topographic, non-categorical manner. Twenty-one unilaterally brain damaged signers (13 left hemisphere damaged, 8 right hemisphere damaged) were presented with a story narration task designed to elicit both lexical and classifier signs. Relative frequencies of the two types of errors were tabulated. Left hemisphere damaged signers produced significantly more lexical errors than did right hemisphere damaged signers, whereas the reverse pattern held for classifier signs. Our findings argue for different patterns of hemispheric asymmetry for these two classes of ASL signs. We suggest that the requirement to encode analogue spatial information in the production of classifier signs results in the increased involvement of the right hemisphere systems. (Contains 5 figures and 1 table.)
Descriptors: Brain Hemisphere Functions, Spatial Ability, American Sign Language, Neurological Organization, Lateral Dominance, Neurological Impairments, Task Analysis, Narration, Error Patterns, Cognitive Processes
Elsevier. 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32887-4800. Tel: 877-839-7126; Tel: 407-345-4020; Fax: 407-363-1354; e-mail: usjcs@elsevier.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2131
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A